The Strangest Thing
by Camillekiss
Summary: AU. Voldemort has died before he has been able to do a thing, but a new danger is heading towars the Wizarding World. Includes a new character!
1. The beginning

A/N: Okay, I'd like to introduce to you... MY NEW STORY! Yeah, I know, probably not that great, but anyway, this is my fic and I can do what I want! Muahahahaha...  
  
Summary: Well, it's AU alright. Voldemort died when he still was a kiddo and couldn't do anything wrong (well, except for that Chamber of Secrets, but that's beside the point), so as a result the Potters are one happy family (with even more siblings, but you'll have to wait for more details) and all the other families are just fine. But there's another danger lurking around the corner... And what does this strange girl have to do with it?  
  
Disclaimer: I own only Elisabeth Cooreman (doesn't that name sound familiar?), Roland Lockhart (I know, can't believe I actually included him in my disclaimer!) and all the other characters that are new. All HP related belongs to Rowling, and all the demon stuff (well, the idea anyway) belongs to Huntington.  
  
Now, on with the story!  
  
Harry Potter looked into the Great Hall, deliberately waiting to enter it. It was the 23rd of November, and everyone was happily eating and talking about another day that they had survived. Harry gathered his courage and stepped in, knowing that it wouldn't matter anyway.  
  
He sat down next to Ron Weasley, his best friend, and Hermione Granger, his formal best friend. Formal, as since the beginning of this school year, she had been acting strangely. Suddenly she despised the Slytherins, while before she'd been friendly. He couldn't talk to Ron about it, as Ron was... well, he was in love. With Hermione that is.  
  
Harry sighed, and listened to the discussion between Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Hermione, love, those Slyths really aren't that bad! Okay, so they aren't the best company ever, but they are at least decent! Unlike some other persons we know. "  
  
"Are you implying something Ronald Weasley? There is absolutely nothing wrong with my friends, thank you very much! And those Slyths, as you call them, are way below my level, and I will not disgrace myself by talking to them nor by acknowledging them. And that is the end of this discussion!"  
  
It always ended with Hermione having the last word. Ron just didn't have the courage to stand up against her, and slumped back. Harry fumed. Really, those Slytherins were fine! They weren't perfect, but at least they didn't brag about their points as Hermione did, nor did they brag about their Powers (if they had them, that is) as-  
  
"And then, I swung my sword at those filthy demons and they ran away. It was quite easy, after all, I AM a Nightwing. Have I ever told you about the time that I fought against 200 of those brats? No? Well, I stood there, and- "  
  
Roland Lockhart, Huffelpuff and Nightwing. He was one of the few (and only resident at Hogwarts) that could fight the demons that were invading the Wizarding world. It stung Harry that their safety depended of Lockhart, who was always going on about his deeds, and who had his own fan club of swooning girls. Really, the guy wasn't that special. He barely had made their 5th year, so what were those girls thinking? Harry shook his head, and glanced at the Head table, where his parents were seated. He locked eyes with his mother, who smiled at him, and looked around in the Great Hall, searching for his siblings.  
  
There, at the Ravenclaw table, was his eldest sibling seated, the most intelligent one of them all and the most admired girl of the school, better known as Ashka Potter. She was one year older than him, and was in all ways possible his big sister. Except for the height. It was her biggest frustration that he was bigger than her, and he always teased her with it. But that little fact aside, they loved each other dearly.  
  
Next to her, the youngest of them all was seated. Laetca Potter was one of the cutest girls in the second year, and didn't she know it. Her grades were fine, but Harry secretly thought that if she wouldn't prank as much as she did now and if she focused on her homework, she might be able to have the best points of her year. Of course, he wasn't about to tell her that. And then his gaze swept to the last table in the Great Hall.  
  
There sat his youngest brother, Nicolas Potter, amidst his friends. It had been a shock the first time Harry had heard the Sorting Hat, but he had accepted the fact that his little brother was a 3rd year Slyhterin. Their father had paled a bit when he saw Nicolas at the Slytherin table, but had accepted it as well when he realized Nicolas was still as kind as he had been before. Of course, there was the influence of the Slyths, namely the cunningness that had developed itself even more, but that had been it. And the moment Nicolas had been Sorted into Slytherin, Harry's eyes had been opened and he had noticed that, unlike popular belief, the Slyths weren't that bad.  
  
He was about to start eating and discussing Quidditch with Ron, when the doors of the Great Hall flew open and a black-cloaked (dunno if it's a word, but you get what I mean) person strode in. There wasn't so much as a whisper when he strode forward to the Head table and handed a letter to Dumbledore, who read it and summoned a chair for the newcomer to sit on. The Cloak (as he would be called for the rest of the time until they heard his name) graciously sat down, but refused to put down his cap. Instead, he whistled and a black raven flew towards him, nestling itself on his shoulder and not moving anymore until the end of the diner.  
  
Dumbledore noticed the stares, and stood.  
  
"Continue eating children, there is nothing to see."  
  
Of course, that wasn't the answer to the silently asked question everyone was asking himself: who was that and what was he doing here at Hogwarts?  
  
Harry turned to Ron and asked the first question that popped in his head:  
  
"Who is that? Isn't he mannered enough to introduce himself?"  
  
"Oh I don't know Harry, but when you're talking about mannered people, surely you can't include that Slytherin fool of a brother of yours?"  
  
Hermione had answered, and Harry got angry. Very angry.  
  
"Can't you just shut up Hermione? I don't know what happened to you, but goddammit my brother is a person that is by far more mannered than you'll ever be! As are all the other Slytherins! Give it a rest, and let me talk to Ron."  
  
Hermione harrumphed, and turned to her other neighbor, Ginny, who looked pained at having to speak to Hermione. Harry rolled his eyes and looked at Ron, who was clearly relieved not to have to talk to Hermione anymore.  
  
"Sorry mate, but I couldn't handle it anymore. She's changed so much over the past summer, that I don't recognize her anymore, you know? And all that talk about my brother..."  
  
"I understand Harry, I mean, I know Nicolas and he isn't a bastard, nor are all the other Slyths. I don't know where she got the idea that Slyths are scum. Sure, they're bigheaded, but that's about the only difference between them and us."  
  
"Don't agree, 'coz then Lockhart should be a Slyth as well, and as far as I know he's still a Huff."  
  
"And a dumbass with that. God, I don't know how he passed last year! And now he's going on about how wonderful he's going to handle the OWL's. I think he's going to be happy if he receives just one OWL (I don't understand the system of the OWL's, so forgive me okay?)!"  
  
"Yeah. But back to my original question: who do you reckon that cloaked guy is (are you also extremely pissed that they automatically think that it's a guy? Coz I am!)?"  
  
"Dunno, I guess we'll find out sooner or later. So, who's going to win: Huffelpuff or Ravenclaw?"  
  
And so everything went to its normal way on that 23rd of November.  
  
A/N: Okay, I hoped you liked it. As I said before, this is my first AU and I've got no idea if I went too fast or too slow or anything. RR and I'll be able to change it, kay? Thankxxxx for reading and CU next chapter!  
  
Camillekiss 


	2. The identity of the Cloak

AN: Hullo everyone! It's me again (no, really?) to tell you I completely looove your reviews! Thank you so much!  
  
Disclaimer: Same as always: I don't own a thing (except the idea, Elisabeth Cooreman and Roland Lockhart).  
  
Now, on with the story!  
  
"Hey guys! Have you heard the latest news?"  
  
It was the 28th of November, the Cloak had been staying at Hogwarts for nearly 5 days and they still hadn't figured out who he was. There were all kind of rumours spread throughout the school, but none of them had been really relevant to the identity of the Cloak. Ed Normay (a 6th year Ravenclaw who had developed himself into the school's most obsessed gossiper about Hogwarts' newest inhabitant) was running towards Ron and Harry, completely ignoring Hermione.  
  
"I've seen a glimpse of his hair! It's black and really long! You don't reckon he's family of Snape, do you?"  
  
Harry shuddered. Another Snape?  
  
"Don't think so Ed, have you seen Snape looking at him? I bet he hates the guy even more than he does Harry! But of course, he could be a brother or something, and it could be that they hate each other guts and all. That could be interesting!"  
  
Ron had a point, who knew? Maybe it was indeed another Snape, but a way cooler one than dear old Severus Snape, resident Potions Master and Prime Dork of Hogwarts. Well, maybe not Prime Dork, there still was Lockhart.  
  
"Come on guys, it's almost dinnertime and I'm starving! Let's go or we won't be able to have good seats!"  
  
The three of them ran away, not noticing the fact that Hermione had already left and hadn't bothered to let them know. They didn't bother with her either, especially after she and Ron had broken up and she had gone berserk about how Ron didn't deserve her and all. Ron didn't mind the break-up that much, he had already happily befriended Lavender Brown, a sweet brown- haired girl that was also a Gryffindor and had been friends with them ever since the first school day.  
  
"Oh no..." Harry grumbled upon seeing Gilderoy Lockhart, father of Roland. He had a habit to show up at Hogwarts at least once a month to check on his son. After all, who in their right mind would not check on his only, and not to mention famous son? Right, a lot.  
  
Gilderoy Lockhart was a wizard who didn't have a lot of talent (just like his son, Harry happily noted), but who made that all up with his constant bragging about how his son was such a Casanova, and how all the girls were just swooning to go out on a date with him (which, to Harry's discomfort, was unfortunately correct). He was seated at the Head table, and didn't notice all the looks he received because of his robes.  
  
That day, he had chosen upon pink robes, and a matching yellow hat. Harry (together with all the other boys, and even some girls) wouldn't dare to come out wearing that outfit. Harry sighed, and sat down next to Ron and Dean Thomas, a fellow House- and year mate. He cast a last glance at the Cloak, and noticed how tense he looked, and how he kept looking at his raven who was perched on the top of Dumbledore's hat.  
  
The Cloak (nope, I ain't going to tell you his name that early, just wait and see) was feeling dizzy. The demons were getting closer, and if he could trust his gut feeling (which he could) they were only 2 miles away. How come that Lockhart guy hadn't noticed it already? He knew Lockhart had weak Powers, but that weak? How he had survived all those years of fighting, the Cloak didn't know. Probably just luck.  
  
He zoomed in again on his 'conversation' (it was more a monologue anyway) with Gilderoy Lockhart, and barely heard the last sentence.  
  
"He is so gifted, I'm sure you must already have heard of him. Really, the world will hear of Roland Lockhart! If not of his skills, than surely of his looks."  
  
The Cloak winced. Roland Lockhart was by far the ugliest looking guy he had ever seen, and he had seen a lot of them. He really didn't understand how all those girls could fall for him, he wasn't even charming! He then noticed Harry Potter looking at him, and he quickly looked away. 'Calm down, he can't have recognized me. He's only seen me once, and that was 13 years ago. Relax...'  
  
Suddenly Lockhart (Roland that is) jumped up.  
  
"What the ... Excuse me ladies and gentlemen, but I'm afraid I have to save your lives again. Some nasty demons are waiting to be defeated."  
  
Finely, he had noticed it! And about time, they were only a couple of yards away. The Cloak stood, wanting to see how Lockhart would handle it, and Dumbledore understood and said that all of those who wanted to watch were excused. The whole Great Hall stood and left behind a smug looking Lockhart.  
  
When they arrived outside of the castle, a gasp could be heard. There could be more than 20 demons be seen, and all of them were bigger than Hagrid, the gamekeeper of Hogwarts (can you even imagine that?). Lockhart grew pale, but took a brave (yeah, right) step forward.  
  
"Go away you filthy demons! Go back to your Hellcave!"  
  
The demons laughed and didn't move an inch, the Cloak noticed. This could be interesting.  
  
"Didn't you hear me? I am Roland Lockhart, a Nightwing, and I order you to go back to your Hellcave!"  
  
The Cloak saw that Lockhart was growing hysterical, and so were most of the students. If Lockhart failed this time as well, he would have to help him. He crossed his fingers and hoped as hell that Lockhart would be able to make it.  
  
"Go away! Go awahay!" Lockhart was whining. No such luck as being able to be unnoticed a bit longer. Goddammit.  
  
The Cloak stepped forward and turned to Lockhart (Roland again).  
  
"Step aside Lockhart, and let me handle this."  
  
Lockhart looked taken aback, and was about to start his speech about being the Nightwing, and being capable enough to handle this all by himself (you don't really believe that, do you?), when the Cloak grew frustrated and pulled of his cap (yep, this is the moment I hope you've all been waiting for!).  
  
"Can you please step back? I'm a Nightwing as well, and more powerful than you I reckon."  
  
"But, you're a girl! No way that you're more powerful than I am!"  
  
She pushed him aside, and turned to the demons.  
  
"Well, what are you waiting for? GET LOST!"  
  
All of them disappeared in a second, except for the biggest one of them all. She sighed.  
  
"You b ack Gand? Thought you knew better than that. Do you really want to be defeated again?"  
  
The demon harrumphed (notice the equal behaviour of Hermione and demon! LOL!) and took a step closer, while the entire student body took one step back (I understand completely, the guy had a really smelly breath!).  
  
"This time, you'll be the one to be defeated Cooreman (Yes!!! I wrote at least a part of the name!)! I've been training, and I WILL defeat you!"  
  
"Keep dreaming Gand, 'coz you ain't going nowhere. Go back to your Hellcave and stay there until at least next month!"  
  
There was a scream, a lightning bolt, and then an empty space where once had stood a huge demon. The female Nightwing turned to a scared looking Lockhart.  
  
"You were saying?"  
  
Then, as one, the whole school began to cheer. Finely, Lockhart had been put at his place! Cooreman strolled through the mass of students, when suddenly someone took her arm.  
  
"No one humiliates my son like that! You will pay!"  
  
Gilderoy Lockhart was looking at her with a look of disdain on his face, while his son was standing next to him. Needless to say, that didn't impress her. When they grabbed her WHOLE body though, she got pissed. Extremely pissed. She pulled both of them up by their collar and smacked their heads against each other (I've always wanted to do that!). She let them both fall down and walked away, without looking back.  
  
All the students looked at her retreating back, and then at the two bodies. Where you would expect a loud scream of anger, there suddenly was a loud laugh. The two Lockharts had finely gotten what they deserved!  
  
Harry was still gazing at the lonely figure that was entering the castle, when he was pulled back with his two feet on the ground by Ron who was oblivious to the behaviour of his friend.  
  
"She is hot! Do you think she will put that cloak away?"  
  
Harry definitely hoped so; the body that had been trapped underneath that cloak was indeed, as his friend said, hot. How hot? See for yourself.  
  
Cooreman (who would turn out later to be called Elisabeth) had long, black hair, with high cheekbones and a pair of dark, fascinating eyes. She was petite and slim, but had an athletic body all the same. Her voice asked for respect, and if you added her eyes to that command, you came to the conclusion no one in their right mind could say no to her.  
  
Harry didn't know how he had gotten such a detailed look of her, but one thing was clear: whether he liked it or not, he had fallen in love. Pity he didn't realise that himself, but Ashka, who had been observing her brother, had realised that from the moment she had seen her brother's puppy eyes. At this very moment, her brain was already doing overwork and came up with thousands of plans to get those two together. She would need help though, and she knew just the person to help her...  
  
AN: OMG! I made it! My second chapter is ready! I'd like to thank my reviewers for their help (really, they helped me with writing the next chapter, otherwise I'd still be reading Fanfiction, which of course isn't that bad as well) and my brain, 'coz that was my greatest help (the story did begin there you know). RR people!  
  
Camillekiss 


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